The Help by Kathryn Stockett

by Carol17 Comments
The Help by Kathryn Stockett I loved this book. I know it was on just about everyone's best of '09 lists, but it took me until now to finally read it. Everyone was right; it's a wonderful book, definitely worth reading. Skeeter has returned home to Jackson, Mississippi after graduating from Old Miss. It's 1962 and she's a twenty-two year old woman who is ready to make her mark on the world, has aspirations of becoming a writer and is advised to start by writing about what disturbs her. With the help of Aibileen, a black maid who is raising her 17th white child but whose own son has died, Skeeter begins to collect the stories of these black women who the upper class families rely on but don't necessarily trust, need but don't respect. Skeeter, Aibileen, and all those who work with them are crossing the lines that divide the town, could literally have their lives ruined or taken because of...
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The Funny One

by Carol8 Comments
I'm not the pretty sister. I'm not the smart sister either. I am the funny one. I've been called that for so long, for so many years, in fact, that all of my life I thought it was one word: Funnyone. (pg. 1, Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani) So, who are you? The funny one, the smart one, the dependable one, the unpredictable one, the brave one, the cautious one? Did you answer? I hope you said "all of the above." There are so many facets to each of us that to allow ourselves to be pigeonholed is a shame. I hope I'm unpredictable at least once in a while. Even though I haven't really started the book yet, I'm willing to bet that there's much more to Valentine than being "the funny one." Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. I cheated, but the rules are easy. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give...
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Snow photos

by Carol14 Comments
We got about 1 1/2 feet of snow Friday and Saturday, which is a lot more than we usually get at one time here in eastern Ohio. We were lucky. Our power didn't go out. David's brother and a friend of ours spent the night on Friday and helped dig us out Saturday afternoon. Just thought I'd share a couple of pictures....
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The Millennium Party by Walter Jon Williams

by Carol6 Comments
"The Millennium Party" by Walter Jon Williams Williams gives us a short, sharp look at the future in this brief story. Darien and his wife are celebrating their thousandth anniversary, but in this future world, everyone has multiple brains that they interchange, each with its own purpose. For the celebration, Darien slots the brain that holds only the good, loving, passionate memories, none of the disagreements, arguments hurts, reflecting their life together as "one enchanted jewel after another." The evening does sound perfect, the setting, food wine all customized just for the two of them, but for the reader the severe compartmentalization of each aspect of life is de-humanizing. People are the result of all their experiences, good and bad, all their roles. While it would be nice to choose what to remember, life would lose it's richness. We wouldn't cherish our relationships as much. It's disturbing, really, so different from how we process emotions, thoughts, feelings. You can find the short story...
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Opti Art Glass Magnets

by Carol7 Comments
These are some cute magnets Amber and I made last weekend with a Creativity for Kids kit. We did them at her party and the other girls took theirs home. They're basically clear glass domes and you paint on the flat back of them with the paints provided. The thing is, you have to paint the details first, like you have to paint the snake or the smiley face before you paint the background color, a kinda difficult idea for a couple of the kids to grasp. Then, after the paint dries you stick the magnet to the flat side. It really is a neat effect that doesn't quite come through in the photo....
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Game Night – Igloo Pop

by Carol1 Comment
Igloo Pop Designers: Heinz Meister, Klaus Zoch Manufacturer: Rio Grande Games Artists: Victor Boden Year: 2003 Players: 2 - 6 Time: 15 - 20 minutes Ages: 7 and up This game is entirely different from every other game we own. The theme is on the silly side. The young ice giant has a big problem: he wants to buy fish sticks, but he cannot remember how many and he has nine shopping lists in his basket. So he goes from igloo to igloo and shakes each. In each he listens to the delicious fish sticks bouncing off the igloo walls. When he thinks that the igloo in his hand has the same number of fish sticks as one of his shopping lists, he takes it home. When he gets home, there are no fish sticks in the igloo. Instead, wild and laughing Eskimo children tumble out of the igloo. Excitedly they shout, "Shake us again!" "That was great fun!" "This is super", thinks the young ice...
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